
When your organization has news, one of the most strategic and cost-effective means to tell your target audiences is through the media, including newspapers, trade magazines, TV stations, radio programs, Internet sites, social networks, newsletters and so on. Whether acquiring another business, promoting a key employee, launching a new product, or opening a new store, you can publicize your organization?s achievement by communicating it to the media via a press release.
What is a press release?
A press release is a professional, formatted, informative document designed to share your news with the media. The press release describes the Who, What, When, Where and Why of your news, along with any additional quotes or details. Press releases should include only the facts, without any marketing or promotional messages.
What is considered newsworthy?
You and/or your company have a lot of news to share; you just may not realize it. Reporters are interested in hearing about new product and service launches, new hires and customer wins, grand openings and business expansions, company milestones, acquisitions, involvement in the community, charitable donations, expert advice, industry trends and research findings, awards and recognition, customer case studies and success stories, and general human interest pieces.
Common to all press releases, the information must be timely, accurate, well-written, concise, and should always include contact information for reporters to follow up with additional questions or to schedule an interview. Make sure you always answer the ?why would this medium?s readership care??
What does a press release include?
A press release should include the following elements, typically in this order:
- Logo or company name: positioned at the top of the press release, a logo immediately informs the media what organization generated the news
- Media contact: this should be either a public relations specialist or an employee who is well-versed on all the details of the news and is easily accessible for a reporter to contact for more information or to set up an interview
- Headline: keep headlines short, simple and to the point, but bear in the mind that the headline has to grab the journalist?s attention
- Dateline: the dateline informs the reporter of the location where the news took place and when the press release was issued
- Introduction: communicate the most important information in the first paragraph, including why the news is significant or of interest to the readers, listeners or viewers of the media outlet
- Quote: include only if there is a powerful quote from an executive at the organization that says something beyond what is stated in the press release as a fact
- Additional details: the remaining paragraphs should be dedicated to covering details or background information that further explain the significance of the news
- Boilerplate: a short paragraph about the organization distributing the press release that often includes the date founded, the organization?s location, its mission or purpose, customers, awards and recognition, and a link to the Web site
- ###: center these characters at the bottom of the page to indicate the end of the press release
Where do I send a press release?
Press releases should be sent to journalists who frequently write about your particular industry or subject matter. For example, a new restaurant may invite a food critic to write a review. A clothing boutique may contact either a small business reporter or a fashion editor. A software company would likely contact a technology writer.
The best way to find the appropriate reporter to contact is to subscribe to or purchase the publication where you wish to see your news published. Familiarize yourself with the publication format, style, frequency and perhaps most importantly, the journalists. From there, you can create a targeted media list to distribute your news.
For outlets that do not publish full contact information on their Web sites or in their publications, there are a few ways to access the information. Though time consuming, you may call the main editorial desk and tell the operator that you?d like to speak with the technology writer, real estate reporter, business editor, or whatever the right beat is for your news. As a second option, you may choose to consult with a public relations firm that not only has access to contact information for any reporter in any market or industry, but that can also easily identify the best media targets for your news and even help you write and distribute the press release. A good PR firm will already have relationships at the media outlets you?re trying to target, which will increase your chances of seeing your news in print. A third option to distribute your news is to take advantage of wire services that distribute mass e-mails with your press release to media outlets in the markets and industries that you choose. Some of the top newswires include Business Wire, PR Newswire and Market Wire and prices can range from around $200, for local distribution, to $1,000 or more for U.S. and Canada distribution. While wire services do not always lead to editorial coverage, they can often improve your organization?s search engine placement.
Bottom line, if you have news, share it with the media through a press release. Constantly explore unique story angles, craft concise and easily understood pitches for each reporter, and distribute the information in a timely manner with respect to the reporter?s deadlines. If you?re not taking advantage of public relations, you are missing your opportunity at becoming the next great headline.
Top 5 Tips for Getting Ink:
- Find a unique story idea or news angle ? even better if you can tie your news into a timely local or national trend
- Craft a well-written, concise press release free of any grammatical or spelling errors
- Create a targeted media list that includes only reporters who cover your particular industry or subject matter
- Send personal e-mails to each reporter on your media list with a targeted ?pitch? detailing why this news is significant to his or her particular readership.
- Follow up with reporters via phone, if needed, to further discuss your news story
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